Sewing-machine ruffler or gatherer.



No. 703,049. P atnted June 24, i902.

J. BQUELAS 81. V. HANSEN. SEWING MACHSNE RUFFLER 0R GATHEREB.

(Application filed Aug. 3, 19Q0.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

WITNESSES:

No. 703,049. Patented lune 24, I902.- J. DOUGLAS & v. HANSEN. SEWING MAGHlNE RUFFLER OB GATHERER;

(Application filed Aug. 3, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets8heet 2.

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g1 T x f Y b;

' WITNESSES: I VENTORS:

Patented June 24, I9U2.

J. DOUGLAS & V. HANSEN. SEWSNG MACHINE RUFFLER 0R GATHERER.

(Application filed Aug. 3, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

I (No Model.)

9 v mm $9 WlTNESSES:

and State of New Jersey,

end of the machine 50 bar F.

UNITED STATES .TOHN DOUGLAS AND VICTOR HANSEN,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, AS-

on NEW JERSEY.

SEWING-MACHINE RU FFLER OR GATHERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 703,049, dated June 24, 1902. Application filed August 3, 1900. Serial No. 25,768. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN DOUGLAS and VICTOR HANSEN, citizens of the United States, residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Union have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing- Machine Ru-fiilers or Ga'therers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to that class of sewing-machine rufiiers or gatherers adapted to be thrown into orout of operation while the machine is running, so that continuous seams which are plain in parts and which are ruflied 15 or gathered in parts may be produced at the I will of the operator, the invention having for its object to provide a device of the class referred to which will be convenient in use and strong and positive in operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a rear side view of one style of Singer sewing-machine with the invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail view of parts shown in Fig. 1, but in difierent positions. Fig. 3 is a z 5 front end view of the same with the face-plate omitted. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4: 4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows. .Fig. 5 is a front side view of the head of the machine. Fig. 6 is a plan View of the forward and Fig. 7 is a detail section on line 7 7, Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, A denotes the work-plate, and B the arm, of the machine. J ournaled in the upper part of the arm 13 is the rotating driving-shaft 0, provided at its forward end with a rigidly-attached crank a, connected in the usual manner by a pitman d with the needle-bar D. The shaft 0 is also provided near its forward end with two eccentrics c and 0 which are preferably formed integral with and on the rear side of the said crank c.

The arm Bis provided on its rear side with a bracket 1), in which is journaled a rock-shaft E having at its rear end an arm 6, connected by a pitman e with the eccentric c, said rockshaft having at its forward end a second arm 2 provided with a sliding coupling-pin e arranged to enter a notch f in a vertical sliding The rock-shaft E is formed hollow,

and journaled therein and passing there through is a second rock-shaft G, having at its rear end an arm g, connected bya pit-man g with the eccentric 0 said rock-shaft G having at its forward end a rigidly-attached arm 9 provided with a pin 9 Loosely mounted on the rock-shaft G so as to be capable of a sliding movement endwise- \said fixed collar g and the sliding clutch-collar g is an arm 1 the hub of which is provided with notches 9 adapted to receive the clutch projections g on said clutch-collar The vertical sliding bar F is provided with a rigidly-attached crosshead f, provided with a slideway in which is mounted so as to reciprocate horizontally therein a slide f to which is attached a slotted. arm f receiving an adjustable block f having a pin f passbeing provided with a set-nut f bearing against a washer f to secure the pin f in any desired position of adjustment in the said slot 9 the adjustment of said pin in the said slot being forthe purpose of varying the horizontal movements of the slide f to regulate the milling or gathering movements of the ruffling-foot f", connected therewith, as will be understood. 7 Y

Rigidly attached to the slide f is a depending arm or bar f which supports the ruiiling or gathering blade or foot 7", said blade .or foot being preferably attached to a stock f having a limited vertical movement in a guideway formed for its reception in the lower end of the bar f. The ruffling device or foot f is pressed yieldingly downward by a smallcoil-springf, located in the 'guideway-recess in the bar f and bearing on the top of said stock f the downward movements of said stock and foot being limited by a small pin f, carried by said stock and entering a slot f in said bar f ing through a slot 9 in the arm 9 said pin The machine herein shown ispreferably provided with an ordinary lifting-lever H for the presser-foot 11, said lever H being operated in the usual manner from beneath the work-plate by a treadle or knee-lifter. Fulcrumed on the pivot-pin It of the lever H is v a lever I, also preferably operated from beneath the work-plate through the rod i, attachedto the rear end of the said lever. The forward end of the lever I engages the inner end of a short transverse lever K, pivoted on a hub on the bracket b, surrounding the rockshaft E and provided at its outer end withan incline or inclined portion k, engaging the rear end of a sliding pin 4%, mounted in the bracket 1), and provided at its forward end with a forked armm, engaging the sliding clutch-collar 9 so that when the rear end of the lever I is depressed by the attendant the outer endof the lever K will be moved downward, as shown in Fig. 2, thus forcing the sliding pin m forward or outward, so as to move the vrocking clutch collar g into clutching engagement with the arm g which imparts positive horizontal rufiiling or gathering movements to the foot f andwhich foot will continue in operation so long as the rear end of the said leverI is thus held depressed by the attendant by means of'a treadle or otherwise. When the lever I is released, the spring 1" lifts the rear end of said lever and restores the parts to their normal position, (shown in Fig. 1,) with the clutch connection between the rocking collar g and the ruffleroperatingarm g? broken.

Pivoted on the arm g of the rock-shaft G is a spring-leverj, the rear end of which enters a recess in the sliding clutch-collar g and the forward end of which engages the sliding coupling-pin c on the arm 6 of the rock-shaft E, and thus when the said clutchcollar is moved outward into coupling engagement with the armngf said coupling-pin will be pressed against the bar li solhat when the vibrating arm 6 brings said pin filte -re s ister with the notch f of the bar F said pin will enter said notch, and thus enable the said vibrating arm e to impart vertical movements to said bar and to the rufding-foot connected therewith. The spring-lever j also serves to retract the clutch-collar g and the sliding pin on when the levers K and I are released. When-the rufiiing or gathering foot is thrown out of operation, it'is desirable that it should be retracted away from the needle, and also that it should be slightly lifted or raised from the separator-plate 8. To this end thereis provided a small rock-shaft n, journaled in the lower part of the bracket 17 and provided at its rear end with an arm n, connected by a link or with the inner part of the lever K, 'saidrrock-shaft having at its forward end an arm n to engageacurved or inclined shoulder at f on the SIi Ge- ,,SO that when the lever I is released the force of the spring i will ser'z'e, through said lever I, the

ruffling-foot connected with said slide away from the needle and toward'the attendant, as also to lift the said slide and the rufliingfoot connected therewith, and at the same time to lift the bar F through the cross-head f The machine herein shown and described may for some classes of work be provided with a folder or hemmer, as 0, but this is not essential. V .r a

The operation of the invention is as follows: WVhen the machine is running and the attendant wishes' the seam to be ruflied or gathered, the rear end of the lever I is depressed by its treadle connection to lower the outer end of the lever K, which by its incline it forces the sliding pin 1n forward or outward, so that its arm m moves the rocking sliding clutch-collar g outward into clutching engagement with the hub ofthe arm g and thus set said arm in motion to impart horizontal movements to the slide f with which the rufllingfoot f is connected, so as to set saidfoot into ruffling or gathering operation. This movement of the lever K operates the rock-shaft n, so that the arm n is" released from the shoulder at f on the slide f and the ruffling-foot f is lowered to working position. The outward movement of the clutch-collar g causes the spring-leverj to force the sliding coupling-pin e inward, and thus when in the vibrating movement of the arm e by which said pin is carried said pin comes into register with the notch of the bar F vertical movements will be imparted to said bar and to the rufiiing-foot connected therewith, the vertical movements of said foot being so timed relative to the horizontal or ruflling movements thereof that said foot-will be lifted when it is retracted or moved backward, said foot thus having a four-motioned action. When the attendant releases the lever I, the spring 2" and the spring-lever j instantly restore the parts to their former or non-operative positions, and as this can be done without stopping the machjgeylainseam'instead of a rli flfed or gathered seam will be produced when the ruffling or gathering foot is thus thrown out of'operation.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent' 1. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the needle-bar-operating shaft located in the upper portion of the arm of the machine and provided near its forward end with two eccentrics, of a rufiiing or gathering blade or foot, connections between said eccentrics and said blade or foot whereby positive four-motioned movementsare imparted bodily to the latter, and means, controlled by the operator, for throwing said blade or foot into or out of action without retarding or arresting the operation of the stitch-forming devices.

2. In asewing-machine, the combination with-the need-le-bar eperating shaft located in the upper portion of the arm of the machine lever K, link 71*, and rock-sh aft n, to move the and provided near its forward end with two I tically-movable bar provided with a support,

I tions maybe caused to operatively join said ,iso

, with the'needle-bar-operating shaft provided v and havingthe arm e carrying the couplingpine, the rock-shaft Goperativelyconnected I clutch-collar g connected with said shaft G .;to,rock therewith, the arm g /loosely mounted on sa'idshaft G and having a hub constructed foroperative connection with said clutch-collafr, the'spring lever 7' connected with said kclntch-collar andcoupling-pin, the bar 11?, .not hedsim, b "engaged by -couplin s latter,a lever operated from beneath the workand out of operation while the machine is runeccentrics, of a rufiling or gathering blade or foot, connections between said eccentrics and said blade or foot whereby positive four-motioned movements are imparted bodily to the plate of the machine, and connections, controlled by said lever, whereby the said ruffling or gathering device may be thrown into nmg.

3. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the needle-bar-operating shaft located in the upper portion of the arm of the machine and provided near its forward end with two eccentrics, of a rufliing or gathering. blade or foot, connections between said eccentrics and blade or foot, whereby positive four-motioned movements-are imparted bodily to the latter, a lever operated from beneath the work-plate of the machine, connections, controlled by said lever, whereby the said rufding or gathering device may bethrown into and out of operation while the machine is running, and means for lifting said rufiling device and for moving it away from the needle when it is thrown out of operation.

4. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the needle-bar-operating shaft located above the work-plate of the machine and provided near its forward end with two eccentrics, of a rufliing or gathering blade or foot, connections between one of said eccentrics and said blade or foot whereby positive forward-and-backward movements areimparted to the latter; and connections between the other of said eccentrics and said blade or foot whereby positive up-and-down movements are imparted to said blade or foot. y

5'. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the needle-bar-operating shaft provided with two eccentrics, of two rock-shafts operatively connected with said eccentrics, a vera ruffiing device'or foot sustained by said support and horizontally movable relative thereto, disconnectible connections between said rock-shafts and said bar and device or foot and actuating means whereby said connecrock-shafts and said bar and ruffling device or todisconnect the same, g

6. In a sewing-machine,the combination with .two eccentrics, the rock-shaft E operatively connected'with one of said eccentrics with the other of said eccentrics, the sliding turespin presence of pin and having a cross-head f, the slide f mounted on said cross-head and connected with the said arm y the rufiling-foot con.- nected with said slide, and means for moving the said clutch collar lengthwise of the said shaft G.

'7. In a sewing-machine, the combination.v with the needle-bar-operating shaft provided v with two eccentrics, the rock-shaft E opera-- tively connected with one of. said eccentrics and having the arm 6 carrying the couplingpin e ,.the rock-shaft G operatively connected with the other of said eccentrics, the sliding clutch-collar g connected with said shaft G to rock therewith, the'arm g loosely mounted on said shaft and having a hub constructed for operative connection with said clutch-collar, the spring-lever j connected with said clutch-collar and couplingpin, the bar F notched to be engaged by said coupling-pin and having a cross-headf,the slide f mounted on said cross-head and connected with the 'saidarm 9 the ruffling-foot connected-with said slide, means for moving the said clutchcollar lengthwise of the said shaft G, the lever K provided with an incline, the sliding pin m engaged by said lever and having an arm engaging said clutch-collar and the lever I for operating the said lever K.

8; In a sewing-machine, the combination with the needle-bar-operating shaft provided 1 with two eccentrics, the rock shaft E operatively connected withone of said eccentries and having the. arm 8 carrying the coupling-pin e the rock-shaft G operatively connected with the other of said eccentrics,

the sliding clutch-collar g connected with said shaft G to rock therewith, "the arm 9 loosely mounted on said shaft G and having a hub constructed for operative connection with said clutch-collar, the spring-lever j connected with said clutch-collar and coupling-pin, the bar F notched to be engaged by said coupling-pin and having a cross-head f, the slide f mounted on said cross-head and connected with the said arm 9 the rufllingfoot'connected with said slide, means for moving the said clutch-collar lengthwise of r the said shaft G, the lever K-provided with an incline, the'sliding'pin m engaged by said lever and having anarm en gaging said clutch-- collar, the,lever I for operating the said lever K, and the rock-shaft 'n connected with the said lever K and having an arm' engaging the 1 1 said slidefor the purpose. of lifting the said 'rufliing-foot and moving it away'from the needle when said foot is thrown out of operas tion. U

In: testimony whereoffwe afliz'c our-'sig'na two'witnesses.

JOHN DOUGLAS. 7 VICTOR HANSEN.- "Witn'ess'esr 1 HENRY J. MILLER W'.;Iayrse Houcnrox 

